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Chapter : 08
At a glance, he was so neat that you could mistake him for a respectable office worker rather than a gangster.
His hair was styled in the latest fashion; unlike the others with their dark, rough complexions, his skin was pale. Broad shoulders, long legs. An expensive-looking suit and shoes, and a luxury wristwatch.
If it weren’t for the bluish tattoos creeping up to his neck and his long, sharp eyes without double eyelids that revealed a cruel disposition, no one would have taken him for a thug.
He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties.
Considering he’d risen to the position of branch chief at such a young age, it meant he was impressive in skill—or in something else.
Behind him followed his subordinates, all puffed up with bravado, though unlike last time they waited quietly at a little distance.
Among them, the manager who had been beaten up by Taesin last time glared at Iseol.
“You bastard. Why are you here again? Why don’t you get lost?”
When the grandmother widened her eyes and raised her ladle, Choi Mugwang smiled leisurely.
“I came to talk quietly, so let’s not make a scene. There are customers here.”
Checking the customers who were nervously watching, the grandmother muttered to herself and returned to the kitchen to continue what she’d been doing.
“Eat what you were eating. They say even a dog won’t bother you while you’re eating.”
Mugwang grinned and sat down beside Iseol.
Her appetite gone, Iseol put down her chopsticks and drank some water. Junpil chewed what was in his mouth with an uncomfortable expression, glaring at Mugwang.
“I heard our boys came here last week and caused trouble. Well, nothing broken, right? I came to pay for damages.”
He pulled several checks out of his wallet.
The black wallet was stuffed with checks and cash.
“The damages are taken care of. Just tell them not to come around causing trouble whenever they feel like it.”
“No need to worry. I gave them a proper warning so it won’t happen again.”
When Iseol glanced at the subordinates as if to confirm, they all avoided her gaze.
Their lips were split, and their eyelids were bruised purple.
Judging by how fresh the injuries were, it seemed Mugwang himself had beaten them.
“But what’s the relationship between you two?”
Mugwang asked, alternating his gaze between Iseol and Junpil.
“That’s none of your business.”
At Iseol’s bold reply, the subordinates snorted angrily, but Mugwang chuckled softly.
“I’ll take that as meaning you’re nothing to each other. I’ve got something to check with our teacher here, so I’d appreciate an honest answer.”
Making eye contact with Junpil, Iseol swallowed dryly.
Mugwang leaned toward her and asked in a low voice.
The eyes that met hers gleamed sharply, as if they could catch any lie.
“You know, the guy who turned our boys into mincemeat last week. They said he took them all down by himself. Do you know where he is?”
“H-how would I know that?”
“You don’t know.”
Mugwang tilted his head.
“Not even someone you know, yet he got involved in someone else’s business.”
“He was a complete stranger.”
Ha.
Letting out a low scoff, Mugwang narrowed his eyes.
“Well now, our teacher must be really pretty. Helping someone you don’t even know like that.”
“……”
“Did he fall for you at first sight or something?”
Mugwang grabbed the back of Iseol’s chair and leaned his face in close.
His gaze swept over her face more closely than necessary, then stopped at her lips.
Iseol didn’t avoid his eyes and met them head-on.
If she looked away now, it would seem like she was hiding something.
He was frightening enough to send a chill down her spine, yet strangely, she wasn’t trembling.
For some reason, she had a baseless certainty that this man, at least, wouldn’t harm her.
From the moment they first met, he’d treated her with courtesy and an unusual gentleness.
“Well, even the fierce look suits you.”
Grinning, he finally stood up.
“Alright. If you didn’t see him, there’s nothing more to ask. If you happen to run into him, pass along a message for me. Tell him it’d be better not to catch my eye. If he makes trouble in my territory, I’ll make sure he learns exactly what happens.”
“……”
“No answer?”
“……Yes.”
“Good. I’ll trust you, teacher.”
Just as she was about to sigh in relief, Mugwang turned back and smiled coldly at Iseol.
“It probably won’t happen, but if you hide him behind my back, or lie and say you didn’t see him—and I find out—then no matter how pretty you are, teacher, I won’t be able to let it slide. Keep that in mind.”
When Mugwang wandered off with his men, Junpil finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Wow, that crazy bastard. Was he hitting on you just now? Damn, doesn’t he know his place? Who does he think he is, coming on to you?”
“Thank you for not stepping in.”
“You’re impressive too. Not even flinching in front of a guy that scary. Of course, I wasn’t scared either. I just held back because I thought it might make things harder for you.”
“I know. You did well. Eat some more.”
“Yeah.”
For a brief moment, Iseol thought it was incredibly lucky that Taesin had left and hadn’t been caught.
But not long after, he returned.
As a returning student.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
After leaving the principal’s office, Iseol took Taesin to a nearby language classroom.
It was lunchtime, and the noise of children playing soccer drifted in through the open window.
After checking that no one was around, she closed the door and turned back—only to bump straight into Taesin standing right behind her, nearly falling over.
Thankfully, he grabbed her arm and steadied her, sparing her an embarrassing fall.
She stared at him from up close, but it was impossible to read what lay beneath the surface.
She couldn’t even tell whether he remembered her.
His eyes looked skilled at hiding his thoughts, at cutting off emotion.
Had he forgotten what happened back then?
No—that couldn’t be.
His return to the island couldn’t be unrelated to that incident.
So different from the man who once felt so close, Iseol hesitated before finally speaking.
“You remember me, right?”
“……”
“You… don’t remember?”
“That’s impossible.”
Ha.
The wave of relief that washed over her—she couldn’t explain why.
Had she been afraid he’d pretend not to know her?
Thank goodness.
He remembered.
“So what happened? Why did you come back? Are you okay—are you hurt anywhere? The student who transferred into Class 1, that’s your younger brother, right? Isn’t it dangerous for you to be here? Have you heard of Mirae Credit Company? The people there were looking for you too, Lee Taesin.”
At the barrage of questions, the corner of Taesin’s lips lifted slightly, his eyes creasing.
“Let’s take the questions one at a time, teacher.”
Teacher.
Right.
Now they were teacher and student.
The changed relationship felt unfamiliar, and she pressed her lips together.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I just have so many things I’m curious about… I never expected we’d meet again like this…!”
“First, yes—the student who transferred into Class 1 is my younger brother. I’m fine. As for why I came back… let’s just say I needed a place to lie low for a while.”
So he couldn’t give the real reason.
Janghado was about forty minutes from the mainland by boat—neither easy to enter nor to leave, with little traffic in and out.
There were no notable tourist attractions, no festivals. Aside from anglers, hardly any visitors came.
“But outsiders tend to stand out even more on an island. It’d be better not to draw attention…”
Iseol trailed off.
With looks like his, staying unnoticed was impossible.
“That’s… already not possible, I think.”
Her gaze slowly traveled upward from his shoes along his long legs.
Having once lived comfortably in Seoul, she immediately recognized the clothes he was wearing as luxury items worth millions of won.
The atmosphere was completely different from when he’d been wearing the health clinic director’s husband’s tracksuit.
“For now, we should at least get you a school uniform.”
Maybe it would hide that excessively handsome face just a little.
“Have you been well?”
When their eyes met again, Taesin asked.
Without realizing it, Iseol swallowed.
“Didn’t you miss me at all?”
